The Winter Story
by RealTears
Summary: Based on the TV show Blood Ties and the characters created by Tayna Huff, this story is another 'what if' after the TV series ended. Dedicated to my friends at Everythingbloodties. You know who you are. Thanks for reading
1. Chapter 1

A Winter Story

As he drove, Henry watched the snow fall in heavy clumps all around the car. Without taking his eyes from the road, he tilted his chin slightly toward her and asked, "Tell me where we're going and why?"

Vicki mumbled, "We're heading north."

Henry sighed in exasperation, since agreeing drive Vicki, she'd been evasive in answering his questions. "I know that much, but I'm going to run out of road and night soon. It's time you gave me more information."

She squinted and said, "We're heading for a cabin that I co-op with a group friends from my college days."

"We should've gone somewhere else. I'm not fond of driving in the snow or being cold."

"Me neither, but we needed some place where we wouldn't be interrupted. Cell phones won't work out here and I checked with Emily, who keeps track of who's using the cabin and no one's scheduled to be there until spring."

They drove in silence for another half hour before reaching the cabin at the edge of the lake. By the time they arrived, the snow had stopped falling and the predawn sky was full of stars. Henry took a moment to look around at the trees glazed with ice and the dragon claw icicles hanging from the roof of the cabin before carrying in the supplies and saw the four bunk beds along two walls with a potbelly stove and rocking chair in between. Also, there was a sink with a hand pump for water and a table with four chairs. At the back of the cabin was a partition that led to the cabin's one luxury, an indoor toilet. Actually, it was a bowl with a toilet seat and a bucket that was used to cart water from the pump for flushing waste into the septic system. He gave her a half smile. "Vicki, you understand I'm going to be nothing but a lump in the corner for the day?"

"Yeah." She pointed to the stove and asked, "Do you have time to help me get the fire started?"

Henry turned toward the east and said, "I've got fifteen minutes." He built a fire, then hung one of the blankets she brought around the bottom of the upper bunk bed frame to make a curtain and crawled into the lower one.

Vicki came over to where he was lying, lifted the corner of the hanging blanket, she put another blanket over him saying, "Thanks for doing this."

"You're not going to do anything stupid are you? You stabbed me after the last time you tucked me in."

"I keep telling you, that was to save your life."

He couldn't help but frown as he said, "It still hurts." Then fell asleep. He didn't hear her as she placed her hand on his side and said, "I'll kiss it and make it better."

***

She stared into the warm glow coming from the grating and occasionally threw in a log to keep the cabin at a comfortable temperature as long as she remained wrapped in the comforter. She thought about Henry, Mike, her mother and what future might hold. So many changes had happened in the last few months that she hadn't time to sort out her life. She'd said '_no_' when Henry asked her go with him to Vancouver without thinking it through and regretted it ever since. Determined to tell him what was in her heart before he left Toronto, she made arrangements to use the cabin and asked him to join her on a small adventure.

When the interior of the cabin darkened, she turned towards Henry and watched signs of him waking up before looking at her watch and noted that there was still over three hours until sunset. She stood, unwound the comforter and walked to the window to see the sky was black with snow filled clouds and the wind kicking up. Pressing her lips into a straight line, she realized that they were in for a big storm and Henry wasn't going to be a happy camper. All she could do was hope he wouldn't be too angry to listen to what she had to say.

She opened the door and went behind the cabin to carry in more wood. She saw another pile of larger logs waiting to be cut into smaller pieces and took the time to check that the heavy maul and ax were still in the the tool bin in case they needed to split more wood. Then she checked Henry's car for any emergency supplies he might have.

***

Henry lay still listening to the rattling of the doors and windows as the wind howled around the little cabin. When he was able to move, he pushed aside the blanket that acted as a curtain around the bunk and saw Vicki sitting in the rocking chair huddled near the stove, wrapped in her comforter. The fire had burned down while she dosed and she didn't hear the springs squeak as he shifted on the bunk and said, "This is not good."

Vicki stirred at his words and said, "Nope. I'm sorry, Henry. Honestly, I checked the weather reports before deciding to come up here."

Henry sat on the edge of the bunk and tried to extend his senses to get a 'feel' for the weather, then said "The snow's not likely to stop for hours or maybe days."

"That's what I thought from the color of the sky earlier. I've brought in most of the wood and checked your car for any emergency supplies you had, which wasn't much."

"As a rule, I don't drive in bad weather."

"I said I was sorry."

"You say that a lot."

"Actually, only to you. I usually don't make mistakes."

"And I can't afford to make any."

Vicki leaned down, grabbed a log from the small stack by her feet and threw it into the stove. "Can we start over?"

Henry rested his forearms on his thighs and clasped his hands between his knees giving her question serious thought before asking, "Why?"

"There should have been enough time for us. Somewhere along the line, we ran out of time."

Henry felt the weight of her words. She'd fought for his life and she fought for her friends lives but hadn't ask for anything in return. Now she was asking him for time. He owed her that much. He hadn't liked the fact she had said 'no' to him, but in the cold dark, after everyone left, he hoped that she would reconsider if given a chance. "It looks like we have the time, so let's make the best use of it."

Vicki's face brightened as she said, "Really?"

The wind rattled the windows and a down draft caused sparks to fly in the little stove as Henry stood up, walked over to where she continued to sit rocking slowly back and forth. He placed a hand on the armrest to stop the chair's movement, "Start talking."

"When I graduated from the academy I was so sure of everything. I'd become a detective with five years and hoped to be a captain within ten. I'd met Mike and we had the perfect partnership in and out of the squad room. I'd take the wild chances, he'd cover for me and together we cleared cases in record time. But somewhere along the line our goals changed, he want more of a commitment from me, we fought and broke up, but still we worked well together professionally until I started having trouble seeing. Finally instead of taking a desk job, I quit the force and went private. You know what happened next."

"That's not new information, Vicki."

"I guess it isn't. When Coreen came to my office asking for help, I had no clue that there were such things as demons, evil spirits, or vampires. I got caught up in all that and Mike got pulled in against his will and now because of me, his life's a mess. When you asked me to go with you and turn my back on him, I couldn't. How could I make a choice like that after what we all went through that night?"

Henry squatted down so that they were eye level and said, "Asking you to come with me at that moment wasn't the smartest thing I ever did. I've regretted it ever since. I knew for weeks that I had to leave the city and I hoped by the time I told you I was leaving, our relationship would have progressed to the point you'd want to come with me."

"Keeping you at a distance is a way of protecting myself against being hurt. I trust you with my life, but I'm afraid to trust you with my heart. Actually, it's not just you, I've never trusted my heart to Mike or anyone else either."

Henry held his hands out to his sides, looked directly into her eyes and asked, "What do you want from me?"

"I want to feel you around me and in me. I don't want to regret we didn't make the most of our time together."

Henry pulled her to her feet and pushed the comforter aside as he said, " There's always time to love."

Not bothering with any more words, Vicki kissed Henry the way she'd been dreaming of kissing him for weeks. Henry broke away long enough to throw another two pieces of wood on the fire before finding their way to the bunk.

***

Vicki ate her last peanut butter and jelly sandwich as Henry sat sipping on bottled water. He waved his hand at her sandwich and accused, "You didn't bring enough food."

Vicki jabbed at the air and said, "Two nights, one day, that's all I planned. I brought enough for that amount of time. Who knew the storm was coming?"

Henry just shook his head and said nothing more. His heart and soul were filled with love for this woman, but his body was beginning to feel hunger and with hunger came anger. If the storm lasted much longer, Henry would be hard pressed to keep the vampire under control. He should have known better than to go anywhere with Vicki without feeding first.

Vicki squinted and saw the look on his face that meant trouble. "You're getting hungry." Then tilted her head to the side and said, "Feed."

Henry shook his head '_no_.'

Vicki repeated, "Feed." Then added, " I don't want you getting too hungry. You forget, I've been in the same room with a starving vampire. Trust me, it's not something I care to repeat."

Henry hated knowing that she'd seen him at his worst and understood her concern. He leaned in and used his vampire skills to open his own mind allowing her share, on a deeper level, the feelings he had for her.

Vicki hissed at initial pain of his bite then relaxed in his arms as she felt truly and completely loved. She knew when he finished feeding by the raspy touch of his tongue along the side of her neck and fell asleep.

Henry made sure she was wrapped tightly in the comforter and held her close to his chest as he sat in the rocker. Somewhere towards dawn Henry woke up his sleeping beauty. "Okay, love. It's back to the bunk for me."

"I'm going join you for a while. I've run out of things to think about."

"Have you come to any conclusions?"

"Quite a few and you won't like some of them."

"Thanks for the warning." Henry took a few minutes to check the wood supply, split some logs and stack the pieces by the wood stove as Vicki made use of the 'luxury'. Together they settled down on the bunk.

***

Vicki woke up to the sound of pounding on the door and a man's voice yelling. Getting up, she made sure the curtain was closed around Henry and opened the door to see a man in heavy coverall, parka, scarf, and gloves. "Who...?"

"It's been a while Ms. Nelson, I'm Will, the sometime caretaker for the cabin. After the storm stared, Emily called to say you and a friend were up here for the week-end. She made me promise to plow you out as soon as it stopped snowing."

Vicki gave him some money she found in Henry's wallet, making a mental promise to pay him back as soon as she got home.

For the rest of afternoon she packed up the car and made sure the cabin was clean and ready for the next visitor. Then she got the logbook out to make an entry about the condition of the cabin when she came and how she left it. Seeing the maul and ax resting by the door, where Henry had placed them after the last round of wood splitting, she picked them up and carried them around back to the tool bin. Not paying attention to the ice than hung from the eaves, she let the lid of the bin drop back causing the snow and ice on the roof to shift. As she reached the door, the the dragon claw shaped icicles broke free and fell on Vicki's head and shoulders. Pinned under the weight of the heavy ice she slipped into unconsciousness.

***

Henry was aware of the fact that the cabin was cold and empty long before he could move. Furious with himself, he tried to fight his waking lethargy. Finally free of the day's curse, he yanked the blanket down and quickly scanned the cabin to see it was picked up and everything but the blankets he was using were gone. He called out to Vicki and listened for her heart. He heard the answering beat coming from outside and opened the door too find her lying in a heap with the dragon claw shaped icicles holding her down.

He picked up the fifty pound chunks of ice and threw them aside as he called to her. She opened her eyes as his hand stroked her cheek and he asked, "Are you all right?"

She mouthed, "No." And closed her eyes.

Henry checked her for injuries and noted that the side of her head had been hit along with her left shoulder, chest and arm. Looking at her pupils, the right one was twice the size of the left, and the left side of her chest wasn't moving as she tried to breathe. He hesitated before taking her back into the cabin, placing her on the bunk and commanding, "Open your eyes."

She whispered, "No."

"Keep'm closed, but listen to me. You're badly hurt. If I try to drive you back to town, the trip will kill you. If I leave to get help, you'll be dead by the time I get back and if we stay here you're still going to die."

"Great."

"There's another choice."

Vicki tried to take a deep breath and stopped when the urge to cough started. She felt her head being squeezed by a vice, her heart being squeezed by a fist, and she could only get air by breathing shallowly. Slipping into unconsciousness, she didn't have time to ask what choice.

***

Henry drove until he was able to make a cell phone call. Mike met caught up with him about seventy miles north of Toronto at a motel.

Henry opened the door and stood watching as Mike walked toward the room. "She's in here."

Mike saw the deathly pale Vicki lying on top of the bed and turned back to Henry, "You bastard, what happened?"

"We were up at her cabin. She was hit by falling ice and snow. The injuries were fatal."

Mike went closer and saw her chest moving slightly. "She's breathing. Call an ambulance."

Henry put his hand on the room phone stopping Mike from making the call. "It's not that easy. I started something but you have to make the final choice for her."

"Oh crap. I'm not going to like this."

"No, you're not. But I'm not to going to make a choice like this alone."

"She's going to be royally pissed at both of us."

"Yes, she is."

Mike paced back and forth thinking and arguing to himself. With his back to Henry and his hand stroking Vicki's right arm he said, "Do it Henry. I'd rather be in a world with a pissed Vicki than in one without her."

Henry moved forward, "That's what I was hoping you'd say. I need to take some of your blood then feed her."

Mike rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm, "You've wanted another taste for a long time."

Henry gave a provocative smile and said, "Would you care for some pleasure while I dine?"

Mike looked shocked then said, "You're a sick bastard. Take what's needed. And no funny business."

Henry's fangs dropped down as he said, "Bastard, yes. Sick, no."

***

Vicki sat up, looking around the unfamiliar motel room wondering how she got there when she heard the voices of the two most important men in her life. Calling out, "Mike! Henry!" She asked, "Where are we and what's happening?"

They both came to the bedside and Mike looked at Henry then pointed and said, "He did it."

Henry pointed right back at him and said, "He said to do it."

Vicki studied both of their faces and began to realize just how much she loved both of them, how well she could see them, how good they smelled, and how much she wanted to bite them.

***


	2. Chapter 2

Vicki sat staring at two men trying to figure out why they were all together in a motel room. She cleared her throat a couple of times before asking, "What happened?"

Mike and Henry started talking at the same time, then Henry stopped and gestured for Mike to continue. Mike asked Vicki, "What do you remember?"

She paused taking time to think before saying, "Henry's leaving Toronto. I needed to spend some time with him before he left. So I asked him to drive us up to the cabin and got snowed in."

She glanced at Henry and he lifted his chin to indicate agreement and that she should keep talking.

"After it quit snowing and the drive was plowed, I cleaned up the cabin and packed the car while Henry slept. I took the maul and ax he left by the door around back to put them in the storage bin and let the heavy lid drop back in place.

As I was heading back to the door, I heard some cracking and looked up to see a dragon claw of ice coming at me." She demanded again, "What happened?"

This time Mike pointed to Henry, "Your turn."

Henry's face clouded over with sorrow, "I found you buried under the ice and snow that had slid off the roof."

Shaking, she said, "That's not all."

Henry moved his head from side to side, "No, that's not all. The injuries were fatal. To stop the dying process, I fed you my blood and brought you here to wait for Mike. He offered me his blood so that I could feed you again. You're vampire."

The silver flashes coming from Vicki's eyes pinned Henry and Mike to the floor as she growled deep in her throat.

Henry rushed to Vicki and held her tight as he ordered Mike to leave.

Mike protested, "Why?"

The growls coming from deep within Vicki's throat became snarls and Mike saw the points of fangs in Vicki's mouth.

Henry held Vicki back as she struggled to reach Mike, "She's an angry, hungry young vampire looking for prey. If you don't want to be dinner, get out of here."

Mike picked up his coat, headed for the door and nodded as Henry said, "I'll call when it's safe."

Henry's eyes turned coal black as his vampire gifts overpowered his child demanding that she obey him without question. Vicki snarled then quit struggling in his arms.

"Good. You can feed or I can end your life." Henry dropped some of his hold on Vicki and added, "The choice is yours."

"That's it? Die or exist as a vampire. Why?"

"I couldn't stand by and watch you leave me."

"I could've lived. You didn't have to do this to me."

"I've seen enough injuries in five hundred years to know fatal when I see it. You were half frozen, with a head bleed, your chest was crushed and the sack around the heart was filling with blood. You would have lived only for a few more minutes. If I fed you blood, I'd have enough time to drive us to where the phone worked. As soon as I could, I called Mike and he came. He could no more let you die than I could. We gave you a choice you didn't otherwise have."

"I need to talk to Mike."

Speaking slowly with power he said, "Your vampire will attack him. He can't afford to lose any more blood. It was necessary for me to take more than is safe before feeding you the last time. You need to hunt."

"I don't want to kill anyone."

"I won't let you kill."

Henry and Vicki stood behind the restaurant that was next to the motel and waited. When one of the cooks came out for a quick break, he took control of the cook's mind. Then motioned for Vicki to come closer, "Watch what I do, the next time you'll do the biting." Henry held the cook's wrist up to his lips as his eyes turned black and fangs dropped down. He bit into the wrist with a quick downward thrust and opened a vein. Vicki heard the blood rushing threw the cook's vessels and smelled it in the air. Her fangs dropped down and she reached for the wrist. Henry pulled back his fangs from the wound and stepped back offering the bleeding wrist to her. The first taste stuck in the back of her throat, but the vampire's demand for more kept her from gagging.

When Henry said, "Enough," she stopped feeding and licked the wound as instructed. He placed a hand on either side of the cook's head, making eye contact willing the him to remember stabbing himself with a two tine fork just before taking his break. The cook looked down at the two pricks and shook his wrist muttering about being more careful next time. He didn't see the two vampires standing in the shadows.

***

Back in their room she asked, "That's all there is to it?"

"Pretty much."

"What about the sex?"

"Unless you want it to be, sex isn't a part of feeding."

"Crap! Another myth blown."

Henry couldn't help but laugh as he said, "I remember the first time you said that to me. We'd just started working together."

Vicki pulled up her sleeves, "I'm never going to forget our first case."

Henry held her arms and traced both marks with his thumbs. "Being what we are doesn't have to be dark just because we live in the night and need blood to live."

"Why can't we live on bagged blood?"

"Preservatives that extend shelf life, keeps the blood from being useful to us."

Feeling the soothing touch of Henry's thumbs on her arms, Vicki relaxed. She slowly pulled her arms out of Henry's hands and said, "Call Mike."

***

Mike knocked and opened the door saying, "Is it safe?"

Vicki said, "No, but come in anyway."

He came into the room and closed the door. Henry was standing looking out the window and Vicki was in the center of the room. Mike ran his hand threw his hair and said, "God, I hate what's happening."

Vicki reached out and pushed the displaced curl back off his forehead, "Me too."

Henry turned back to study both of them, "Talk to him, Vicki. Then, when you're ready, if you want, I'll end it."

Vicki opened her eyes wide at his words then realized she could see better than she had in years. She knew by listening that Mike's heart was beating twice as fast and Henry's beat in a slower counter rhythm.

"I'm too furious for words. Both of you daring to make decisions about my life. I'm standing here wanting to beat the crap out of you, but I won't. At least not today." She turned to Henry and said, "Give us an hour."

Henry's eyes darkened as he used the will of the vampire to warn them both to be very careful as went out into the night to find his own prey.

***

Vicki pointed to a chair in the far corner of the room and she moved back against the wall to keep as much space between them as possible.

Vicki asked Mike, "Shouldn't you be working?"

Mike gave a little boy shrug and looked at a spot on the ceiling and said, "Not any more. I haven't liked the job much since you left. In the last few months I've seen and heard more than I ever wanted to know existed. I can't go on coloring inside the lines the way the Crowleys of the world want."

Vicki's eyes filled with tears as her heart filled with self incrimination, "I knew it! I've ruined your life."

Mike stood and started toward her and she held up her hand, "Stay back, Mike. I'm not in control of the thing yet."

"You didn't ruin my life and neither did Henry. I had choices of my own all along the way."

"When Henry and went to the cabin, I hoped I could make up my mind between the two of you." She stopped speaking and her eyes changed between gray-green and silver.

Mike waited a minute before asking, "And?"

Vicki ran into the bathroom, slammed and locked the door. She turned on the shower. The steaming hot water warmed her cool skin and drowned the sound of her tears.

Henry came back to the room finding Mike pacing back and forth mumbling about women. He heard the shower running and Vicki sobbing.

"I take it that things didn't go well."

Mike stopped pacing, pointed to the bathroom door and said, "Who knows with her."

Henry sat in the chair Mike had been using earlier and said, "We'll just have to wait."

Vicki turned off the water, heard the two men whispering and said to herself, "Get a grip Nelson. Some women can't find one person to love them and you've got two. You know who you want to be with, so go out there and tell them."

The bathroom door opened as both men watched. Vicki came out dressed with her hair wrapped in a towel. She took a deep breath and said to Henry, "If I ask you, will you end my life?"

Henry squared his shoulders and said, "I will."

Vicki nodded approval, "Good." Then she looked at Mike and asked, "Can you keep what's happened to me a secret for the rest of your life?"

Mike said, "Yes."

She held out her arms so that the marks left by Norman were visible to both men, "I hate what's happened and I don't want to be vampire."

Henry's reached out to grab her throat as she dodged and batted his hand away, "Not yet. I'll tell you when."

Silver eyes looked into coal black eyes as she added, "Teach me everything. Kill me if I ask it of you, but please, whatever happens, don't ever leave me."

Mike picked up his coat and tried to sneak out of the room. Vicki's first use of vampire power was to order Mike to freeze. She moved to stand in his face and said, "Not so fast. We're in this together, the three of us."

Mike shook off Vicki's control and said, "I'm not on the dinner menu and I'm not playing Renfield to either of you."

Vicki moved around Mike and leaned her back against the door, "I'm not asking for dinner or a slave."

Henry cleared his throat and both Mike and Vicki looked at him. He laughed and sat down on the bed. "It's amazing how soon children grow up and start demanding to have things there own way. But this time I have to admit the child has the right of it. The three of us make a good team. Vicki, it will take a very long time for me to teach you everything you need to know about living in the night and both of us will benefit from having a good friend that lives by day."

Vicki smiled in understanding, "I'm very slow when it comes to learning new skills."

Mike said, "How do I fit into this great plan?"

Speaking at the same time Vicki said, "Lover." And Henry said, "Friend."

Then Henry continued, "You're not a Renfield eating bugs, doing his master's bidding and begging to be turned vampire. Mike, your our trusted friend that keeps us safe from harm."

Vicki let out a sigh of relief, "Up at the cabin I finally figured what I needed and wanted." Laughing she held out a hand to Mike, then the other to Henry. "I need, I want, I love both of you."


	3. Chapter 3

_The Winter Story continues with glimpses of the everyday lives of our three. From time to time as these snapshots of life develop, I'll post them. _

A few fine snow crystals swished in ahead of Henry and Vicki as they opened the back door of the small home they shared with Michael Celluci.

With a shiver, Vicki hugged herself as she looked around the kitchen and saw the open box of pizza and empty beer bottles on the counter. "Looks like Mike's home. I'm going to go say hi."

Henry put his arms over hers from behind and whispered, "Don't take too long saying 'hi', dawn's coming."

Vicki turned in his arms so that she was facing him, "I won't. It's good this way isn't it?"

Henry was not all that happy sharing Vicki with Mike but said, "Yeah. It's good." Then headed for the basement.

Vicki was halfway down the hall to Mike's room when the tone of Henry's voice registered and she hesitated before continuing.

Mike was laying on his back making snoring noises in his throat. He looked like a small boy with his leg hanging out from under the covers and thick brown black hair tangled in his eyelashes. Tenderly she lifted his leg back into the bed, straightened the covers and pushed the curl off his forehead. With a wicked smile she slid her hand under the covers and wrapped her fingers around his cock.

Mike woke with jolt and pushed Vicki's hand away, "God! Stop that. Your hand feels like a three day old corpse."

Vicki snatched her hand back, eyes silvered and fangs dropped into place as she snarled, "Thanks for reminding me."

Between one blink and the next Vicki was gone from the bedroom and doors could be heard slamming all through the house.

Mike got up, grabbed his sweats and hopped from foot to foot trying to put them on as he followed Vicki through the house yelling, "Come on Vicki! Wait up. You startled me. I'm sorry."

In the kitchen he found Henry standing by the basement door with his arms crossed. "You've known her for over a decade, when are you going to ever learn?"

"Stuff it." Mike snapped as he tried to push Henry aside.

Henry put his arm across the door jam and said, "Give her time to calm down. Right now Her vampire won't let her listen to reason."

"Sometimes I hate living with women."

Henry gave Mike a grin and said, "I know what you mean. Vampire women are even worse, all the mood swings with the strength to back them up." Henry dropped his arm to his side and added, "She'll get over whatever made her mad by sunset. You can have the evening with her, I've got some stuff that needs doing."

Mike went back to bed and Henry went down into the basement that had been converted into an art studio for him along with a safe room for both vampires to use during the day. Henry went into the safe room and saw that Vicki was stretched out on the bed with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes closed.

When she heard Henry secure the room's door she slowly sat up and swung her feet over the side, "I need a coffin."

"What?"

"Mike says I feel like a three day old corpse. I need a coffin to complete the image."

"Stop it. You know perfectly well any man would scream when a cold hand wraps around his favorite body part. I'm sure you've done it to him before."

Vicki gave a half smile thinking several past encounters that led to fights and make up sex. "I wasn't a walking corpse before. Are we really that cold?"

Henry nodded affirmative.

"How do you keep your partner from screaming when you touch them?"

"Don't startle them. Move slowly, keep control of the moment and hot showers help."

Vicki laughed at that. It made perverted sense that a vampire would need a hot shower.

_Please let me know if you, dear reader, would like to know more about Mike, Vicki and Henry's lives together._

_RT_


	4. Chapter 4

Vicki's mind was in overdrive as she became aware of herself then her surroundings and who she was using as a pillow. Taking a deep breath she pulled in the smell and taste of him. The sun had set and another night had begun for her and Henry.

It was only a few weeks ago that she thought she'd lost him forever. Now she was a part of his world and a part of him would live in her forever.

She thought, "As vampires we'll have a very long time to work out all the issues that could pull us apart after I've finished maturing . But for right now, I can enjoy him."

Henry started to stir under her and his arm tightened possessively around her waist as the pounding on the bedroom door grew louder.

Mike yelled, "Wake up you guys. The sun's down."

Henry hissed, "I'm going to kill him."

Vicki laughed, "Remember, you agreed, no permanent damage. Killing is very permanent."

Growling and getting out of bed Henry snarled, "Can I bite him?"

Vicki stretched like a cat and said, "No. But you can show him your fangs and scare him into behaving."

Henry's eyes turned from electric blue to coal black as fangs filled his mouth and deep ridges marred his smooth forehead. He all but tore the door from it's hinges while snarling, "One of these days Vicki's not going to be here to save your ass."

Mike Celluci stood on the other side of the door with fist raised ready to pound on the door again as it opened. He didn't even blink at Henry's appearance as he said, "Hi Henry. Is Vicki dressed yet?"

Vicki came out of the bathroom looked at the snarling vampire posed to strike an oblivious Mike and asked, "Mike! Did you even look at Henry?"

Puzzled Mike replied, "I said, hi."

Henry took on the aspect of an artist writer that he usually wore and looked at Vicki with a shrug, "This is what happens when we let humans get too comfortable with our kind. They're not smart enough to know when to be afraid."

Mike said, "In case you hadn't noticed I'm not stupid, and I've got all _day_ and night to figure out how to handle you. This is my house and Vicki loves me. So, while I respect your strength and advantages, I have a few of my own. Plus the fact I know you don't want to piss off Vicki."

Henry looked from one to the other and asked, "Will someone please explain how after five hundred years of relatively uncomplicated living, I managed to get into this mess?"

Mike pointed to Vicki as she tapped her chest and stepped between the two of them saying, "I tried to warn both of you. There's never going to be anything easy about living with me."

Vicki scowled at Mike, "Why _did_ you bang on the door?"

Mike tried to look innocent as he shrugged, "Because I could."

Henry's voice dropped an octave as he said, "Vampires are not known for their easy going natures. I suggest you think before you keep irritating me or Vicki."

"Lighten up fang boy."

Vicki cleared her throat and Mike said, "Sorry. Lighten up, fang girl and boy."

Henry threw his arms in the air and said, "Enough. I'm getting dressed. Vicki get Mike out of here and keep him amused while I do some work."

Mike turned to Vicki and said, "Never mind keeping me amused, I've got some work of my own."

Vicki found herself standing in the hallway as Mike went into his office and Henry went to the basement where he had set up a studio for his art and writing. This was the first time she'd been left alone since the last day at the cabin. Both men had taken turns being at her side while her life turned from human to vampire. She took a few minutes to watch Mike sort through pages of one file then another taking notes and doing online searches for information, and then she wandered down stairs and watched Henry going from drafting board to keyboard moving so fast that without her enhanced vampire vision she would not have seen how he got from one place to the other. Engrossed in their projects neither one was aware that Vicki was on her own.

Realizing this was her chance to escape her wardens, Vicki moved at her newly acquired vampire speed. Grabbing her keys and her bag, she eased herself out the door and into the cold winter night. The air was crisp and the night sky was covered with a thin layer of clouds that let a few stars shine through as an occasional ice crystal floated on the air. Vicki stared at the crystals seeing each unique hexagon as it drifted into her line of sight. It had been years since she could make out individual snow flakes. She marveled at their beauty and thought they almost resembled a compass. Perhaps they were pointing the way to her future, telling her she now she had the time to follow all the different paths that had intrigued her when she was in college. Walking along she heard the crunchy squeak of the snow under foot and thought about hating winter. After the accident she should hate ice and snow, but secretly she was grateful for the bad weather. It was the icicles falling off the roof of the cabin that caused the fatal injuries that led to Henry turning her vampire.

She didn't pay much attention to where she was going until she found herself standing in front of her office door with the key in her hand. Shrugging, she unlocked the door and didn't bother with the lights. Her vampire eyes showed her the office better than the brightest light ever did. She ran her finger along Coreen's desk and made a mental note to give her a call and see how she was doing and wondered if she should tell her about being vampire. Shaking her head '_no_' she realized that wasn't a good idea right now. Vicki moved to the inner office and sat behind her desk, powered up the computer and while it was processing she looked at the neatly stacked file folders. Mike had been busy over the last few weeks while she'd been 'ill'. Cases were closed and bills submitted. She checked the answering machine's message and heard Mike's voice saying Vicki was on an assignment and temporarily not accepting any new cases. The incoming message light blinked so Vicki listened to them with her finger poised over the delete button. That finger got repeated exercise as she deleted one message after another. No she didn't want cable, no her car insurance hasn't expired, and no she didn't need replacement windows, carpeting, or credit approval. One message did catch her attention, '_Coreen told me about you, but you're never there. I'm getting desperate." _He didn't leave a return number. Saying "Oh well," under her breath, she hit delete and moved on to the next useless message.

Mike called out, "Hey Vicki, would ya get me a beer?" As Henry yelled, "Vicki, I'm getting hungry let's go out for a bite."

Both men waited for an answer that didn't come and finally got up to find Vicki.

Mike said, "Where is she?"

And Henry answered, "I'm not sure. It wasn't my turn to watch her."

"Quit being a pain. Listen for her."

Henry snapped back, "You're the detective. Detect where she is."

Both stared waiting for the other to make a move. Henry kept his face blank as he focused his hearing on tuning out heart beats that weren't hers. He identified hers and knew he could find her.

Mike thought about Vicki's habits and how if she was working on a problem she'd walk until she ended up where she needed to be.

Both nodded in satisfaction.

Henry asked, "Want to race?"

"Nope. You'd beat me because you move faster. I'll write down on a piece of paper where I think she is and give it to you. You drive us to where you think she is and then look at the note."

Henry said, "Fair enough."

Mike took out his small notebook wrote down a few words folded it and handed it to Henry.

Henry sat behind the wheel of his car for a moment turning his head listening, then started the engine and drove unerringly toward her office. He parked the car across the street and pulled the piece of paper Mike had given him and read _her office._

Vicki looked up as the door opened and a middle aged man walked in. His face was bright red and he wheezed as he said, "Finally you're here. I've been calling for weeks. I need your help."

Even before turning vampire Vicki was so confident in her skills of self defense that seeing a strange man in her doorway didn't phase her. She placed both hands her desk and slowly stood while asking, "Who are you and what do you want from me?"

"Benjamin Peters. I need a pet vampire and Coreen said you'd help me find one."

Vicki closed her eyes and bowed her head in a silent prayer. '_God help me. Why do the crazies keep coming to me_?' She looked back up into his flushed face and ordered him, "Sit before you pass out. When did you talk to Coreen and why do you want a vampire?"

"I don't want one. I need one. I haven't seen Coreen in almost a year. The last time I saw her was just after her boyfriend was killed. She said a vampire did it and she said you were going to find it for her. She said if anyone could catch it, it would be you."

"If I _could_ find one what would you want with it?"

Benjamin fidgeted in his seat and mumbled, "I'd feed it and give it a place to live in safety."

Vicki turned her head and saw Mike and Henry standing in the outer office with their hands over their mouths trying to keep from laughing. Seeing them, Vicki started to giggle then cough to cover up the sound.

"Mr. Peters, if vampires exist, I'm pretty sure they don't do well as house pets."

"Call me Ben. I don't really want a pet. I want its help. I've got a condition that's going to kill me if I don't have it treated regularly. I'm running out of money to pay for treatments and besides that the treatment is just plain wasteful. I've been trying to take care of it myself but I can't do it anymore. A vampire is the perfect answer."

"What condition?"

"Erythrocytosis. Too many red blood cells. They clot and clog the blood vessels and organs. There's no cure and the only treatment is to draw off blood. But the blood can't be used for anything so it's thrown away. I keep passing out when I try to do it myself. I got to thinking about vampires and remembered what Coreen said, so I've come to you. The vampire can drink my blood and it would know how much is safe to take at one time. I'd be good to it, honest. I can pay you a little bit."

Vicki looked over his shoulder at Henry as he gave a half shrug and a 'why not' look.

"A vampire didn't kill Coreen's boyfriend. If they exist, they don't make a habit of letting anyone find out where they are. Tell me how to reach you and I'll have to do some research. I'm not making any promises."

Ben handed a hand written index card with his contact information and asked, "how much are you going to charge me?"

"Nothing. Vampires don't exist."

"Please don't say that. There's too many stories about them, for them not to exist somewhere."

Vicki stood up and placed the index card in the center of her desk. "Ben I'll give this some thought and make an inquiry or two and call when I have something to tell you. In the meantime, I suggest you don't skip any more treatments."

Benjamin smiled as he stood up, "At least you didn't call me a whack job. Even if you can't find me a vampire, please call."

Mike and Henry faded back into the shadows as Benjamin left the office.

Vicki continued standing as Mike and Henry joined her in her office. She held up a hand and said, "Don't laugh."

Henry grinned and said, "I think vampires would do very well in the medical field."

Mike held up his hand and said, "Spare me the details."

Vicki tilted her head to the side, "Is it possible, Henry. Could a vampire help him?"

"I'm not sure. I'd have to get a blood sample and a taste."

Mike groaned and Vicki started to say something as Henry said, "He'll never know I even came close." He made a small smirking smile and added, "Trust me."

Vicki ordered, "Don't come back with any nasty blood diseases."

Henry grinned, "We don't catch diseases and we can't pass them along."

Mike spoke up, "What do you call vampire?"

Without missing a beat Henry and Vicki both said, "An improvement."

Turning to Mike, Henry said, "Take the car and Vicki home. I'll catch up with you later."

Mike lay on his back snoring and Vicki sat up in his bed reading when Henry got back. She heard Henry rattling around in the kitchen before he opened Mike's bedroom door. The faint light just before dawn caught the evil glint in his eye as he made his way toward Mike with a glass of ice water. Vicki's hand shot out and grabbed the glass before he could pour it onto Mike.

"Don't." She warned.

Henry shouted at the top of his lungs, "MORNING MIKE!" A startled Vicki, she tipped the glass's contents onto Mike. He woke up wet and swearing.

Glaring at Henry, he said, "Happy now?"

Henry rocked back on his heals, "Getting there."

Vicki got out of the bed and asked, "What about Ben's blood?"

Henry said, "Thick, but useable."

"Are we going to take him up on the offer?"

"I don't think so. It's not wise for either of us. I'm going to make a few calls. There are some ancients that may be tired of hunting and would appreciate a decade or two of easy meals."


	5. Chapter 5

**Moments in Time**

Henry stood in the doorway watching Vicki push back the stubborn lock from Mike's forehand and place a gentle kiss where the curl had rested. Mike stirred and mumbled in his sleep. Vicki looked up saw Henry and gave him a smile as she quietly slid from the bed.

Henry held out his hand and when their fingers were close enough to touch Vicki placed hers in his. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. In silence they walked to their room, checked all the windows and sealed the door shut for the day.

Henry looked at her translucent skin and stated without question or accusation, "You didn't feed tonight."

Silver eyes and sharp fangs glimmered as she said, "I was hoping to dine at home."

Henry raised an eyebrow in question as she added, "Not Mike. He's asked me not to use him that way."

Henry tilted his head to the side as he said, "My blood's not necessary for your transition any longer, but it's always there for your taking."

"I know, but when she gets hungry, I think of you. I feed, but the blood of others doesn't satisfy her hunger. You told me to never let her get too hungry or she becomes angry and harder to control. It's you that keeps her comfortable."

Henry's eyes crinkled in the corners and his dimples winked as he smiled and asked, "What about what Vicki wants?"

"That's easy. She wants Henry's loving. The vampire wants his blood, and Vicki wants his heart."

He pulled her close and pressed her head to his neck as his arousal made it's self know, "Then both the vampire and Vicki should be very happy."


	6. Chapter 6

Vicki sat behind her desk letting her mind think about her current state of affairs instead of working on the case file that lay open in front of her while Henry was out looking for dinner and Mike was on a stakeout. The three of them had fallen into a comfortable pattern since the events of last winter. Who would have thought two vampires and a human could live under one roof and not end up killing each other especially when both men loved the same woman and the woman in question loved the both of them.

It was Vicki's fierce determination along with a deep abiding love for both Henry and Mike that held them together . But in her heart she knew the time was coming for her to make some tough choices.

Vicki knew Mike hated that she and Henry were vampires. He tried to hind it as he teased about their feeding habits and lying about all day while he had to go to work, but trying to remain close to his family without answering embarrassing questions and keeping secrets from them was beginning to wear him down. Vicki could see it in his face every time his family called. The clinging family and the fact she didn't want kids were a few of the many things that had kept her from committing to Mike before ever meeting Henry.

Vicki needed to break away from Mike without hurting him worse than she all ready had in the past.

On the other hand staying with Henry beyond a year might not be possible either. Henry had warned her that vampires were territorial, solitary creatures except during the year of turning. It had been over ten months since the accident at the cabin and lately she'd started feeling annoyed when he came too close and from the unguarded looks on his face, she could tell that he was sharing the same feelings.

The sounds of two men sniping at each other as they made their way up the sidewalk to her office door made her smile and gave her enough warning so that she had a pleasant look on her face as Mike and Henry fought over who was coming through the door first.

Henry dropped back and made a princely gesture for Mike to go first. Mike made a low bow and quipped, "The prince must go first." And stepped aside as Henry acknowledged his royal due and entered Vicki's office first.

Vicki held up her hand and said, "Let me guess. Henry, dinner was less than adequate and Mike, the stake out didn't go so good."

Together they said, "Pretty much."

Henry shrugged, "Thanks to a quiet night there were slim pickings on the dinner menu."

Mike added, "I sat watching the wrong door for the last six hours while the other team got the collar."

"So boys, what's next?"

Mike looked away before saying, "I'm going out to Molly's for the week-end. She's been pressuring me about spending more time with the family and I'm beginning to think she's right."

"What about you, Henry? Any thoughts for the week-end?

With a wave of his hand and slight bow of his head he said, "Your wish is my command."

Vicki stood and said, "Let's go home. If it's okay, I'll ride with Mike."

Mike gave Henry a smirking smile as he followed Vicki to his car.

Henry gave Mike a 'whatever' shrug.

In the car Vicki said, "Take your time driving home. In fact go the long way around. I need to talk to you without Henry hearing."

Mike let out a long slow breath and turned the car away from the house, "Okay, so talk."

"I love you Mike. For years I couldn't admit it to myself or to you, but now I can after it's too late for us to have a real life together. Because I love you, I have to let you go."

Mike's grip on the wheel tightened as he kept his temper and protests in check and whispered, "I loved you too. What is it you're trying to say?"

"Loved. Past tense. We both know the Vicki you loved is gone. She's been gone for almost a year while you've been stuck with me. You don't like vampires. You hate everything about the 'other' side. It's time for you to get away from the things that go bump in the night."

"I don't know how, besides, what makes you think I'd be happy without you."

"It's got to be better than where we're at now. You're torn between family, friends, me and Henry. You need to move on and so do Henry and I."

"How do you propose I forget about you and Henry?"

"Not necessarily forget about us, just blur a few details about vampires, ghoulies, and freaks."

"How soon is this going to happen?"

"I've got to talk to Henry first, but it won't be too much longer."

Mike pulled into the driveway of his house and turned off the car. Vicki leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Mike, sometimes love is about letting go of a relationship that causes pain."

Henry was deep in thought when he caught the scent of vampire and snarled and took a defensive pose. Vicki about to look over Henry's shoulder jumped back snarling ready for a fight.

Both held up their hands in peace when they realized what they were about to do to each other.

Vicki leaned back against the wall as far from Henry as she could get, "We don't have much time left."

Henry ran his hand through his hair and said, "No, another few weeks and we'll be trying to kill each other with the slightest provocation."

"I suppose you have a plan?"

"I've been working on a few ideas. I've spoken with others of our kind that have working relationships. It's a matter of planning along with respect, a strong desire, and lots of love. We've got the respect, the desire and the love, so Vicki, let's get to the planning."

Mike pulled into his driveway on auto pilot thinking about the week-end spent with Molly and the family. It had gone even better than he had hoped. An old friend from his high school years had showed up with her teenagers and a big chocolate cake. They laughed and shared school memories of dances, movies, football games, and teachers. During the evening Mike found out she was a widow and had recently moved back home. He thought about calling her sometime soon and see if dinner was possibility.

He was greeted by Henry and Vicki in the front room. From the look on their faces he could tell something important was about to happen. He dropped his duffel bag by the door and said, "Out with it."

Henry tipped his chin at Vicki and she said, "Henry and I are moving out by the end of the month."

With a twinge of jealousy he asked, "Are you two going to be living together?"

Henry answered, "Not exactly. We'll be in the same territory but not under the same roof and trying to be together as much as the vampire instincts will allow."

"What about me?"

"It's your call, Mike. What do you want?"

"Drifting apart the way friends do when they move on to different jobs, different cities while exchanging cards at Christmas, e-mail jokes and a rare phone call sounds about right. Knowing that you're okay but no details works real well."

Henry brought his hands together and nodded before saying, "So be it."

The first few flakes of winter drifted slowly by Mike's face as he watched Henry open the car door for Vicki. They'd spent this evening talking about all that had happened since they first met. They were pleasant memories along with a few that weren't so good, but for the most part they all agreed they wouldn't have missed it for the world. As Mike brought up a topic Henry or Vicki would change Mike's perception just enough that the idea of vampires became less real. There were better explanations for the incidents that had happened other than paranormal and Mike accepted them without question.

Henry turned back, shook Mike's hand one last time leaned in and looked at him with black eyes, "There are no such things as vampires, magic or mythical monsters. Vicki is moving in with Henry Richmond a man she met after leaving the force. You've bought her investigation agency and have promised to keep in touch with the happy couple, but soon you will forget about them."

_So ends The Winter Story. _


End file.
